'Mythical' swan photo taken down after 'bestiality' fears

[Tunku]

ExChrispy Porker said:

otolith said:

Maybe, just a bit

Plod who don't know a classical allusion when they see one, who would have thought it?

I would.
I studied Latin and Greek at school.
I have never heard of this swan myth before today.

You should have studied General Classics, O Level.

[WhoseGeneration]

So, the thought police now rule.
No public hearing before a jury, with witnesses for the defence.
I'm old enough to remember the Lady Chatterly's Lover trial.
Best we ban all the books too that describe many myths and legends.

[0000]

Rude-boy said:

ExChrispy Porker said:

I would.
I studied Latin and Greek at school.
I have never heard of this swan myth before today.

Missed out on my Latin but studied Greek Classical Civilisation through to A level.

I did Latin. It didn't cover much mythology, probably because it was Latin.

[Zaxxon]

WhoseGeneration said:

Best we ban all the books too that describe many myths and legends.

You know, I may take that hit, if it includes the Bible and the Koran.

[Pesty]

WhoseGeneration said:

So, the thought police now rule.
No public hearing before a jury, with witnesses for the defence.
I'm old enough to remember the Lady Chatterly's Lover trial.
Best we ban all the books too that describe many myths and legends.

Can we start with the Virgin mary?

wasnt she raped by god from a certain point of view?

[audidoody]

Maybe they thought they were arresting a cygnet ring

[Pesty]

audidoody said:

Maybe they thought they were arresting a cygnet ring

Nice

[otolith]

ExChrispy Porker said:

otolith said:

Maybe, just a bit

Plod who don't know a classical allusion when they see one, who would have thought it?

I would.
I studied Latin and Greek at school.
I have never heard of this swan myth before today.

Coppers come from all sorts of backgrounds, but it's probably a bit much to expect them to have a working knowledge of classical mythology. Some may, I would guess most don't - even some who studied Latin and Greek at school!

[Rude-boy]

otolith said:

Coppers come from all sorts of backgrounds, but it's probably a bit much to expect them to have a working knowledge of classical mythology. Some may, I would guess most don't - even some who studied Latin and Greek at school!

I fully agree with this.

That said there is obviously someone with limited intellect involved in this case.

If nothing else, as said, any officer who is told to go to an art gallery to investigate such a complaint should have Mapplethorpe at the front of their minds and perhaps adopt the softly, softly approach rather than leap into “Daily Soovy” mode.

Very badly handled, especially once the officers were made aware of the providence. As said as soon as that had happened they should have gone higher up the food chain, who might just know the law about such works and be aware of what happened the last time the Police chose to be morally outraged on behalf of the public when dealing with sexually explicit art.

Anyway I do hope that they stopped off at the National Gallery to arrange for the removal of their copy of Mike and Angelo’s daub on the same topic

[JonRB]

otolith said:

Coppers come from all sorts of backgrounds, but it's probably a bit much to expect them to have a working knowledge of classical mythology. Some may, I would guess most don't - even some who studied Latin and Greek at school!

I think it's more the point that the officers sought to get all Judge Dredd and insist it being taken down there and then. I would have thought that it being an Art Gallery might have tipped them off to the fact that it could be art, and as such might not be completely clear-cut and unequivocal as they thought.

I'm not completely up to speed on the new Extreme Pornography laws but I'd be very surprised if art didn't have some kind of exclusion or protection.

[Greg_D]

if you look at the comments, there is a link to the actual picture

Now i'm no prude, but this DOES depict bestiality, not in an arty way, but in a literal way

NSFW link
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/incoming/article7684...

If it had all been about that statue, then i would have jumped on the WTF bandwagon, but it wasn't. it's just bestiality, plain and simple

Edited by Greg_D on Monday 30th April 15:28

[JonRB]

Greg_D said:

if you look at the comments, there is a link to the actual picture

Now i'm no prude, but this DOES depict bestiality, not in an arty way, but in a literal way

(image)

If it had all been about that statue, then i would have jumped on the WTF bandwagon, but it wasn't. it's just bestiality, plain and simple

And as if to ram home your point, you post that with no warning whatsoever and cause me a bit of a panic attack that a colleague would see it before I managed to Alt+F4

Ok, you've adequately made your point - well made, well done. But please can you change that to a link!

[Zod]

Tunku said:

ExChrispy Porker said:

otolith said:

Maybe, just a bit

Plod who don't know a classical allusion when they see one, who would have thought it?

I would.
I studied Latin and Greek at school.
I have never heard of this swan myth before today.

You should have studied General Classics, O Level.

Old Zeus was a dirty bd who used various forms to turn up and have his wicked way, from the swan with Leda, a bull with Europa to a shower of gold (what's that perversion called?!) with Danae.

I am very familiar with the Leda myth because a Greek mythology book at home had a reproduction of a painting of the myth and it was about the most titillating thing available when I was about 8.

[Zod]

Greg_D said:

if you look at the comments, there is a link to the actual picture

Now i'm no prude, but this DOES depict bestiality, not in an arty way, but in a literal way
NSFW pic removed

If it had all been about that statue, then i would have jumped on the WTF bandwagon, but it wasn't. it's just bestiality, plain and simple

That is literally the subject of the myth. It makes no sense of ccourse, given the anatomy of birds.

Edited by GlenMH on Monday 30th April 16:16

[Rude-boy]

Greg,

If we are going to apply that degree of censorship to art then this must immediately be removed from display for a start:-

poss NSFW



To my eyes it is absolutely no different in context.

Then there are people who think that Hurst is nothing more than and over paid taxidermist.

[Rude-boy]

Zod said:

Old Zeus was a dirty bd...

Indeed, you will also be aware of the fate of his father!

[anonymous-user]

Greg_D said:

if you look at the comments, there is a link to the actual picture

Now i'm no prude, but this DOES depict bestiality, not in an arty way, but in a literal way

And again....

If it had all been about that statue, then i would have jumped on the WTF bandwagon, but it wasn't. it's just bestiality, plain and simple

Is the Swan giving her one really? If it was a golden Retriever instead of a swan I might understand your position but the fact that it's not really possible for a swan to shag a woman kind of makes me think it's fine.

So in summary

Swan on top of woman OK.
Golden Retriever on top of woman not OK.

Edited by GlenMH on Monday 30th April 16:17

[Greg_D]

Rude-boy said:

Greg,

If we are going to apply that degree of censorship to art then this must immediately be removed from display for a start:-



To my eyes it is absolutely no different in context.

Then there are people who think that Hurst is nothing more than and over paid taxidermist.

i fear that we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one.

If you truly think that a photorealistic depiction of a woman getting rodgered by a swan is literally no different to that grainy old painting, then we fundamentally differ.

and if it can be seen by someone on a passing bus........ i can understand how someone felt it contrary to common decency, for god's sake i wouldn't envy any parent having to explain that to a 9 year old...

crikey, i've managed to get a 'won't you think of the children' in there as well.

[Rude-boy]

el stovey said:

So in summary

Swan on top of woman OK.
Golden Retriever on top of woman not OK.

Then again not many God's thought that Scooby Doo was a good physical form for them to take when going for a bit of fun with mortals.

[Munter]

Rude-boy said:

Greg,

If we are going to apply that degree of censorship to art then this must immediately be removed from display for a start:-

poss NSFW



To my eyes it is absolutely no different in context.

Then there are people who think that Hurst is nothing more than and over paid taxidermist.

I think the difference here is that the painting is possible without the event. A photo (assuming not shopped), is actually an event. She really did strike that pose, and there really was some form of "swan" between her legs.